Herald Journal,
Feb. 24, 2003

New school: HLWW Board sets public meetings, presses space
issue to public

By Lynda Jensen

Taking a well-traveled road, the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted
school board set several public meetings to discuss its long term facilities
once again.

Previously, a five-year process of building a new high
school resulted in a three-way split among the communities of Howard Lake,
Winsted, and Waverly, when a location near Winsted was chosen to build the
new school, and the idea of adding Lester Prairie school district was being
discussed.

The idea of adding Lester Prairie was dropped, and elections
in the fall of 2001 installed two board members from Howard Lake and Waverly.

Taking 'baby steps'

The board sent a mailing throughout the district recently,
outlining its need for a solution to its space crunch.

During the board meeting, no mention of location for a
potential new school was mentioned ­ since it would be premature to
discuss this subject before the decision is made to build a new school
­ but the issue of location will be addressed before the bond referendum
in the fall, said architect Kevin Halbach of KKE Architects.

"We're taking baby steps," Halbach said.

In the meantime, the board is doubling its meetings to
draw public opinion about the issue by setting more than usual meetings.

A special meeting was set for 8 p.m. Monday, March 10 at
the high school media center to discuss the referendum and go over input
gathered from the three town meetings scheduled in the next two weeks.

The town meetings are planned to be very informal.

In addition to the town meetings, the board plans to do
two meetings a month as it draws closer to November.

Groups and organizations that wish to meet with board members
are being asked to contact Superintendent George Ladd.

Needing more space

Space is the centerpiece of the argument for a new school,
but the issue appears to be a statement to some and a question for others.

Those critical of district point out that the school educates
the same number of students as years ago, and that the space should be the
same.

However, the school district is quick to point out that
modern day requirements ­ especially technological ones, such as computers
and the like ­ take up more physical space in modern school rooms now.

Aside from this, recent demographic information showed
fast growth for all three towns; projecting an additional 37 to 60 children
may be added each year.

This growth would be too much for a district, since it
is at capacity now, Ladd said.

Both Winsted and Humphrey elementaries are filled, Ladd
said. "They're in closets," he said, referring to space.

The district outlined its needs, desire and vision in a
recent brochure, detailed below:

The Needs . . .

.A summary of needs includes:

1. All schools are full with no space for additional students,
future growth.